Missionaries to the Canary Islands

Carolee Schwaderer

About Me

I desire to use this page as a diary of our life here on the island of Tenerife. I have been married to my husband Doug for more than 35 years, and we have served as Independent Baptist missionaries in Guadalajara, Mexico, the jails in Rochester, New York and now in the Canary Islands. My husband currently pastors the Iglesia Evangelica Bautista de San Isidro, Tenerife.

Monday, January 18, 2016

The 25 Most Essential Qualities of a Good Teacher

I came across this article on the website about.com and it really gave a lot of good points. You could apply it to a lot of areas in life as well, such as being a good parent, because as parents we are also teachers, and to the ministry as church leaders are teachers as well.

The Most Essential
Qualities of a Good Teacher

What are the most valuable qualities of a
good teacher? Good teachers are made up of a combination of hundreds of
qualities that allow them do their job effectively. There is no denying that
all teachers have their own unique blend of these qualities. Each teacher is
different, but virtually every good teacher has some combination of these
twenty-five most essential qualities. (These qualities make the difference between
just being a mediocre teacher, or an outstanding one--Carolee's input.)

1. A good teacher is accountable.

Accountable– Holding yourself to the same expectations and
standards as you hold your students. A teacher cannot have double standards.
For example, if you do not allow your students to chew gum in your class, then
you should not chew gum either.

2. A good teacher is adaptable and flexible.

Adaptable– Making changes to lessons or activities on the fly
because of an unforeseen situation or problem. A teacher must be willing to
change. If half the class does not understand a particular concept, then you
cannot move on and must quickly come up with a better way to teach that
concept.

3. A good teacher is caring.

Caring– Going the extra mile to ensure that every student is
successful no matter what.

Compassionate– Recognizing that your students have problems outside
of school, and making the necessary adjustment to help them through those
issues.

A teacher must take outside factors into
consideration. For example, if a student has just lost a loved one, the teacher
should be sensitive to that and adjust accordingly.

5. A good teacher is cooperative.

Cooperative– The ability to work effectively with administrators,other teachers, and parents for the good of
your students. A teacher must be able to build cooperative relationships with
others around them even if they do not necessarily like them.

6. A good teacher is creative.

Creative– Taking a concept and shaping a lesson that is
unique, engaging, and dynamic. A teacher must be able to create lessons that
grab their students’ attention and make them want to keep coming back for more.

7. A good teacher is dedicated.

Dedicated– Showing up everyday and spending the necessary time
to provide your students with the best education. Teachers often arrive early
and stay late. They work parts of weekends and summer to ensure that they are
prepared.

8. A good teacher is determined.

Determined– Finding any means necessary to reach all students no
matter the challenge. Teachers must be willing to do anything to ensure that
all students receive the education they need.

9. A good teacher is empathetic.

Empathetic– Being sensitive
to a student’s struggles even though you may not personally be able to relate
to them.

A teacher must put themselves in the
student’s shoes and see it from their perspective. This approach is often
transcending in how to help the child succeed.

10. A good teacher is engaging.

Engaging– The ability to grab the attention of a classroom
full of students and to maintain their attention throughout the entirety of
class. A teacher must create lessons that are fun, fresh, and energetic. You
want your student to walk out of your class each day looking forward to the
next.

11. A good teacher is evolving.

Evolving– A continuous process of year over year improvement
and growth.

A teacher must continuously look for ways
to improve themselves as well as individual lessons or components of lessons.

12. A good teacher is fearless.

Fearless– Trying a new approach that may be outside the norm
and may receive criticism or scrutiny. A teacher must be willing to try
anything within the parameters ofschool policyto reach their students. They must
also be ready to defend their approach to criticism.

13. A good teacher is forgiving.

Forgiving– Quickly putting incidents with student, parents, or
other teachers behind you so that it does not impact your teaching. Teachers
must be able to get past hurtful actions or accusations quickly. They must not
hold it against any student or let it impact how they teach in the classroom.

Teachers do not make enough money, but
most teachers are willing to donate time and/or money to help out in areas
where a need is recognized.

15. A good teacher has grit.

Grit– The determination to overcome any obstacle in the
way of obtaining a long term goal. A teacher must possess the grit necessary to
make the personal sacrifices necessary to ensure that every goal is reached
every year.

16. A good teacher is inspirational.Inspirational–
The ability of a teacher to get their students to buy into, believe in, and to
be motivated to become life long learners. A teacher should make a lasting
inspirational impact that follows a student throughout their life.

17. A good teacher is joyful.

Joyful– Coming to class each day in a good mood, excited,
and enthusiastic about doing your job. If the teacher has a lousy attitude, the
students are going to have lousy attitudes. If the teacher is joyful, the
students are going to be joyful.

18. A good teacher is kind.

Kind– The ability of a teacher to say and do things that
uplifts,motivates, and inspires.

Kindness should be innate in all teachers.
A mean spirit will turn students off, but a kind spirit is invaluable.

19. A good teacher is organized.

Organized– The ability to keep things neat and in order
allowing teachers to access materials quickly and to make efficient
transitions. Organization is a necessary qualityfor every teacher. Teaching encompasses
so much that those who are unorganized will be overwhelmed and swallowed up.

20. A good teacher is passionate.

Passionate– Teaching with enthusiasm and exuberance on a daily
basis because you love the content and your students. A passionate teacher connects
with their curriculum and their students which maximizes learning.

21. A good teacher is patient.

Patient– The ability to see the whole picture and to
understandthat the school yearis a marathon, not a sprint. A teacher
must never give up on a student. They should continuously trynew strategiesunderstanding that eventually
something will work.

22. A good teacher is resilient.

Resilient– Not allowing adversity to stop you from
accomplishing your goals.

A teacher must be resilient in overcoming
the many obstacles that will present themselves over the course of a year.

23. A good teacher is resourceful.

Resourceful– Finding a way to make things happen. A teacher must
be able to figure out how to get supplies and materials for their classroom
when the funding is not available and to reach a student who has no interest in
learning.

24. A good teacher is trustworthy.

Trustworthy– The ability to get others around you to believe in
you and what you are doing. A teacher must gain the trust of both their
students and parents. Any distrust will negatively impact the classroom.

25. A good teacher is vulnerable.

Vulnerable– Allowing your students to gain insight into your
life without revealing a lot.

Vulnerability
allows students to relate to their teachers as they share in common interests
such as sports, television, etc.

Disclaimer: Although I do not personally endorse or agree with all opinions on the website, you can read more articles by this author at:http://teaching.about.com/

1 comment:

Carolee….I listened to your daughter this evening at the Ladies Missionary Tea @ OPBBC. What great insights from a missionary daughter who wants to become a teacher. She has an excellent spirit and is very sensitive to the Holy Spirit. I was humbled. I was touched. And I was convicted that I do not follow my missionaries as often as I should nor pray for them as I should…

As to this article, I made a copy of it and I am going to put it to prayer…. I've still got three children in homeschool. I realize I need to make things a bit more tantalizing and exciting. i appreciate your efforts in putting this on your blog….